# How the hell do you keep from charring the rim?!



## dls (Aug 3, 2007)

I've been drooling over the "pipe pics" thread, and I noticed that many of those pipes look almost unsmoked. I've got a Savinelli with a fairly small bowl, and it takes quite an effort to keep the flame from charring the briar. How do you all do it? Do you use those tiny wooden matches or a lighter?


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## tedski (Oct 1, 2004)

Don't use a torch lighter. Wood matches or soft flame pipe lighters are best.
Don't load the bowl all the way to the top ... leave about 1/4" of space.
Practice.


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## MithShrike (Jan 29, 2007)

Yep, practice. My first two pipes are almost completely charred on the rim but my new one, which I've smoked a few bows out of is in immaculate condition.


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## dls (Aug 3, 2007)

Hmm... I'm thinking of picking up a basket pipe just to "practice" with, till i get the hang of it. My Sav has a little bit of blackening on the inside of the rim, but so far it's not too bad. I'd just like to limit the damage as much as possible, even though it's just a cheapy sav.


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## worr lord (Feb 3, 2007)

My cheaper Savinelli smokes like a champ, I love it. Try putting a little saliva on a soft cloth (I know, I know) and gently buffing the rim of the bowl. If you haven't really burned it, it should clean up nicely. I made the mistake of lighting my first bowl with a torch...never again.


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## Cheeto (May 10, 2007)

I don't have a pipe expensive enough for me to really worry over a little charring. Personally I don't think it ruins the look of the pipe, i mean it just adds a little dark ring on the top :2

My guess would be to use matches, and to make sure the flame never gets too close to the bowl. The match doesn't have to touch the tobacco to light it(just figured this one out the other night lol)


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## American Psycho-Analyst (Aug 14, 2007)

I personally experience little to no charring and I use a torch lighter to light each of my bowls. If done correctly, it will evince less charring than either sulpher matches or Bic lighters. Surely not many here will recommend my strategy, but, hey, works well for me. Another $.02.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Cheeto said:


> I don't have a pipe expensive enough for me to really worry over a little charring. Personally I don't think it ruins the look of the pipe, i mean it just adds a little dark ring on the top :2
> 
> My guess would be to use matches, and to make sure the flame never gets too close to the bowl. *The match doesn't have to touch the tobacco to light it(just figured this one out the other night lol)*


LOL Yeah, and use touch and go, putting the flame to the tabak one or two seconds at a time, pull it away for a few seconds and repeat as many times as needed until the tabak is going. Gives a much cooler and more thorough light when your tabak isn't too moist. Also draw on the pipe before the flame gets to it and as you remove the flame. Don't "puff" while holding the flame to your pipe.

And :tpd: practice


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

as someone stated, some ppl (like monsoon) put a tiny bit of saliva around the rim of the bowl.

another thing to consider: hold the bowl level, use a soft flame lighter or matches. if you tilt it down, the flame will cross over the edge of the bowl as you light it and possibly char it.
right handed ppl normally char the back left corner of the rim, left handed normally the back right, as that's the direction they tilt their pipes.


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

I also think that getting a lighter designed for pipes (e.g. Old Boy, Pipemaster) may help some folks.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2007)

I've found most of the time the black found on rims is not char but tar. Tars can be hard to clean off a rim if they are left to build up over time. 
A good way to avoid any charring is to walk the flame around the bowl so the heat of the flame doesn't contact any points on the rim for very long. :2


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## muziq (Mar 14, 2005)

croatan said:


> I also think that getting a lighter designed for pipes (e.g. Old Boy, Pipemaster) may help some folks.


I'm with James here...there are some cheap, Bic-like soft flame pipe lighters you can try out to see whether it's a good way to go for you.


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

IHT said:


> as someone stated, some ppl (like monsoon) put a tiny bit of saliva around the rim of the bowl.
> 
> another thing to consider: hold the bowl level, use a soft flame lighter or matches. if you tilt it down, the flame will cross over the edge of the bowl as you light it and possibly char it.
> right handed ppl normally char the back left corner of the rim, left handed normally the back right, as that's the direction they tilt their pipes.


Yup .... I slobber on it. p

Sounds a lil' gross, but it works....I just moisten the tip on a finger & run it around the rim before I light the pipe....still being careful, mind you, not to have the flame across the rim of the pipe, but the moisture helps incase I get a little over-zealous.

None the less ... I still want an old boy .... better safe than sorry.


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

another hint is not to try to light it over the burner of a gas stove...


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

Use a zippo pipe lighter, they are probably the best lighter to use to avoid rim char.


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## solafid3 (Jul 4, 2006)

IHT said:


> as someone stated, some ppl (like monsoon) put a tiny bit of saliva around the rim of the bowl.
> 
> another thing to consider: hold the bowl level, use a soft flame lighter or matches. if you tilt it down, the flame will cross over the edge of the bowl as you light it and possibly char it.
> right handed ppl normally char the back left corner of the rim, left handed normally the back right, as that's the direction they tilt their pipes.


:tpd: I started doing this, and I hardly char the rims of my cobs now too, but I am seriously considering getting an IM Pipemaster, just cause I lose my pipe tool all the time.


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## pierredekat (Mar 7, 2007)

I guess I'm one of the few people who's really apposed to using matches to light pipes. 

I tried them myself, back when I first started smoking a pipe, but found that the flame had a nasty habit of crawling up the match.

And with wood matches, you have pine resins that deposit themselves on the rim and in your tobacco.

Fortunately, I soon learned the skillful use of a Bic, and I've never looked back.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

caskwith said:


> Use a zippo pipe lighter, they are probably the best lighter to use to avoid rim char.


I like the Zippo pipe lighter; never charred a rim with one but, also, I'm pretty careful when lighting up. Matches make me nervous as I see them threatening to char briar now and then.

Agree with Root about a lotta black might be more tar than char. Try a spit and paper towel wipe.


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## JAK (Oct 10, 2007)

I use matches or a bic. I like matches when there is no wind, but on windy days I use a bic. Eventually, when I have more money, I will be a nice pipe lighter, but for now a bic works fine.


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## dogsplayinpoker (Jan 23, 2007)

I used to be incredibly anal about this but now, I just try to be careful. If there is a little darkening, I can live with it. If I trade or sell the pipe I make sure to adjust the price to fit the condition.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Root said:


> I've found most of the time the black found on rims is not char but tar. :2


Yeah, take a cotton cloth and a good spit and rub the black off your rim as if buffing right after you're done with a bowl. This happens with my Stanwell Sixtus as well as some others every time I smoke them..... looks horrible but cleans up in just a minute or two to how it looked prior to the smoke.


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